Koi! The Search for Number Three
by cole231
Summary: A short tale about Ikkaku's dealings with the demon Koi, who happens to be the only thing able to pass messages to the feared Number Three, who may just be the link to him finding Yumichika.


This ficlet is based off the movie Lo. _Italics are assorted memories projected into Ikkaku's mind. _

Ikkaku checked the book once again before drawling the last symbol. He repeated the last phrase and watched as the candles in front of him burned bright before nearly extinguishing.

"Demon Koi" he yelled as he saw a flicker of light somewhere in the blackness around him. "I'm talking to ya!"

A spotlight came down on a figure with it's back to him just a few feet away from his white circle. If Liyako told the truth the demon wouldn't be able to pass the white lines written on the ground. The thing flicked it's long black hair on it's back and shined him a big white smile before turning, giving Ikkaku a full view of the ugly things gray face. It was dressed in a simple white dress with what looked like an emerald on it's necklace.

"Well hello" it purred and turned to crawl over to him. The demon pressed itself against the unseen barrier and peered down it's blacked out eyes into Ikkaku's.

"Where is Number Three?" he asked first in Yumichika's new given name.

"Number three you ask?' Koi asked with what seemed like peeked curiosity. "And what business do you have with the fallen angel with a number for a name?"

"I found this book" Ikkaku said and held up the old parchment. "Your name was marked. Number one said you can communicate with him-"

"Your joking right?" the wrinkle creature asked in a voice that sounded like a woman's, yet the thing looked nothing like any woman that he had seen. "One is a whore deviant with an inferiority complex! Ha!" Koi laughed at herself as if it were the funniest thing she had heard. She laughed so hard she fell to her back and kicked her legs out in front of her.

"This isn't funny! I need to speak with Yumichika now!" he ordered and slammed his fist down beside him. Koi quirked her eyebrow and a grin appeared.

"And it is your belief that this _Yumichika _has become the demon Three? The Number Three to be precise" The demon tapped on her chin lightly.

"It is him. I summoned you here because you are the only one who can get him to come here-"

"Well it isn't a secret that me and Number Three are pretty…tight" Koi said and her skin seemed to twitch in sync at the last word. She laughed again loudly. "Tell me..what's your name shinigami boy?" Ikkaku rolled his eyes and huffed. Somehow he felt this was going to be a long night.

"It's Madarame Ikkaku but that doesn't- look, just go tell 'Number Three' that I need him to come here NOW!"

"Ikkaku you say? No..I don't like that. Let's call you dinner" Koi smiled to herself and nodded.

"My name is Ikkaku"

"No, Dinner!" The demon yelled back and pointed at him. "You need to let go of the past"

"Alright fine whatever, just can you go tell him-"

"What business is Number Three to you anyway?" Koi interrupted and sat back to crack her neck. "If Number Three really is this Yumichika Ayasegawa then his time has passed. _If _they truly are the same then Number Three is a new life and you have no right to interfere with the comings and goings of a reincarnation"

"It's not!" Ikkaku yelled back. "If it was his reincarnation he wouldn't have looked directly into my eyes and reached for his mask! And hey, how if he isn't Yumichika do you know his last name?"

"Simple really.." Koi shined a bright smile and her eyes flashed a bright green. "I can read your mind" _Shit. _Ikkaku thought to himself. Liyako, the bitch number one, hadn't shared that information. Hell she didn't even approve of him coming to this in between dimension in the first place so why would she tell him something important anyway?

"Well fine if you really can then there's no need for me to explain my reasoning's. Go get him" Ikkaku ordered and lifted himself to turn his back on the demon.

"I cannot do the impossible" Koi sauntered over around the circle and came to lay down right in front of him.

"How is it impossible? Just go to your dimension and tell him"

"Number Three is a bit of a…free spirit" the demon said and made her hands like a butterfly in flight. "Who knows his patterns"

"You. He dropped this book and marked your name!" Ikkaku shouted and stood up to tower over the slighter woman. "Your really going to tell me he didn't mean to? Number One told me you are there to pass his messages"

"On occasion" Koi smiled devilishly. "But then again how do you pass messages to something that never speaks?" Ikkaku took a deep breath. If he tried to punch the thing he would break the circle and he wouldn't be able to get back. This was the only chance he had in getting to Yumichika.

"_Ikkaku" Yumichika whispered from beside him. Ikkaku smiled back as he felt the cool breath against his neck. _

The third seat looked around and growled as he realized it was a trick. "Don't do that"

"What?" Koi asked innocently and blinked as Ikkaku saw the memory again clear as day. Just like he and Yumichika were back in bed on that first night. That first memory he had in life.

"_Ikkaku" _

"I said stop it!" He yelled out and took a deep breath.

"Well if we're going to find out why you need to pass a message to a dead man I suppose we'll have to look at _you _and the dead man" Koi said and stood slowly.

"Why can't you just do it? What possible reason could you have for stopping me from speaking to him!"

"Oh none, just curious" The demon said before letting out an uproarious laughter.

"_Ikkaku" Yumichika smiled as he bit the side of his lip. Ikkaku scooped an arm under the man he had just met and pulled him to lay on his bare chest. _

"_I wasn't lying when I said it yanno, we coulda waited to do…this" he said and indicated the heated session that was just going on. Yumichika shrugged and Ikkaku felt his heart warm as he looked deep into those pretty violet eyes. _

"_You still think I'm beautiful don't you?" The perfect man said and his eyes filled with tears. Ikkaku laughed out and placed his hand on Yumichika's cheek. _

"Wow, it's getting a little emotional isn't is?" Koi said with a wave of her hand. "Pitiful"

"Shut up…he- he just got out of a bad situation alright" Ikkaku defended and crossed his arms as he continued to see Yumichika just laying there on him, clear as day.

"_Of course I do, I wouldn't lie to you. Your beautiful Yumi and we are going to be together forever" _

"Hahaha!" The demon laughed out loudly. "Boy, he's got a couple things coming to him"

"_I love ya, yanno" Ikkaku said before kissing his lips lightly. _

"_I love you too"_

"Alright stop it!" he yelled and closed his eyes. He couldn't take this. Yumichika had only been gone for a few months and this was killing him.

"Ten to be exact"

"Stop reading my thoughts!" Ikkaku shouted and turned away from the demon.

"If that was the past and now is the present what do you think your future will be, Dinner?" Koi asked with a tilt of her head. "If the demon Three really is he then what future will you have with a cold blooded murderer?"

"He's not a murderer!"

"Ah but he is. To be a number is to be a killer, and not that pretty Seireitei kind that's about fighting and honor and all that. To be a number is to punish those who were sent to the hell dimension. It is what they do" Ikkaku growled and attempted his best to center himself. He knew what Yumichika was now when he came here and he didn't care. He couldn't care or it would stop him from his goal.

"Mhm" Koi mumbled and turned around to walk away. Ikkaku turned to look and saw that the demon had disappeared.

"You better be going to get him"

_Yumichika stare up at the ceiling as he waited for Ikkaku. He glanced at the clock and wasn't surprised by how late it was. _Neither was Ikkaku.

"I'm not" Koi smiled and appeared right in front of him. "So tell me Dinner, why do you think he did it?"

_Yumichika stare back at the ceiling as he heard the door slide open. He closed his eyes and feigned sleep as Ikkaku's heavy footsteps nearly ran past their bedroom to the bathroom beside it. _

"Shut up"

"All that pain…do you think he knew about all those lovers?" Koi asked with shock and placed a hand on her chest.

_Yumichika clenched his eyes shut as two tears fell from his eyes. _

"You think that's why he's the way he is now?" The demon asked. "All the pain and destruction. That Number Three really is a bit of a psycho"

"He's not"

"Ah, but he is" Koi contradicted and waved her finger in the air. "If Number Three really is your beloved he has changed existentially from that boy that you play those movies of in your head"

A spotlight came on on the other side of the room. It was Yumichika in his Number Three getup. Dressed in a long black overcoat that fit tight on his waist, the long metallic nails that fell down to his thighs, and the black mask still in place.

"I'm going to tell you a story Dinner. This is the tale of The Number Three" Koi smiled and walked over to the statue of the man Yumichika had become. "When Three had first awoken from his prison he had no name. He walked among the deceitful and the gluttonous with his head held high. It was said he was from a dimension of warriors. This is why he did not fall as easy as the ones before him"

"Now I'm sure Number One told you the story of the mask so I'll skip it. It's a silly tale really, conserving his beauty for the beloved who had crushed his heart. Only to show himself when he looked into the eyes of the man who had betrayed him"

_Ikkaku fell back and hit the ground hard. This Number Three really was as bad as they had warned. He dodged another blow by rolling over and winced as the long metallic finger nail cut him on the side of his cheek. _

"_Fuck" he growled and placed a hand on his face to stop the blood. _

_Ikkaku watched as Number Three paused. The rain beat harder down on them as they stare each other in the eye. Now was the moment Ikkaku had been waiting for. When Liyako told the story of Number Three's life before hell it had sounded so familiar, so much like…like Yumichika. _

"_Who are you?" asked Ikkaku. Number Three tilted it's head to the side and the third seat watched as the mesh on the mask raised to reveal some very radiant violet eyes. Ikkaku felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest as Number Three reached for the bottom of his mask and began to raise it off of his face. _

"_Ikkaku!" he heard Shuuhei yell from somewhere down the street. Ikkaku had only glanced over for a half a second but by the time he looked back Three had reattached the mask to his face and disappeared in a split second. The only thing Ikkaku saw was the pale skin of his chin and his pink lips. _

"_Yumichika" he whispered as his eyes heated. Ikkaku looked down and was amazed to find a black book just laying there in the rain. In the middle of the cover was a gothic styled number '3'. _

"The first few thousand fell quickly as his bloodlust had begun to consume him. After that he lost his voice, I assume it was because he hadn't used it in so long. Such a loner that Three. His favorite was the men who dare challenge him. He would string them up and suck out their souls slowly. As he impaled them he would often shave them bald. Do you have any explanation for this? Because no one else-"

"Your lying" Ikkaku growled. "One said you would lie to me and I'm telling ya now I don't believe it. Yumichika wouldn't torture people like that"

"Well maybe not Yumichika but Number Three? Oh, it's his specialty. Just look at him" Koi said with a smile and opened her arms up wide as if presenting the image of the demon. "His coat adorned with various teeth from the men who would not shut up, his nails long and hard for when he cuts, this mask! This mask given to him by the man who leads hell! Leads hell! Okay now, the man who leads hell. The devil gave your boyfriend a mask with ancient markings to ensure his safety. You think there isn't a reason for this? You are ignorant of his accomplishments"

"Yumichika doesn't just go around and kill people for pleasure"

"Pleasure, boredom who knows? All anyone knows is that he does it well" Koi smiled triumphantly and tilted her head to look at the image in front of her. "If you want to speak with Number Three you should know the man he is"

"I don't care! I only care about Yumichika-"

"Yumichika is no more. If this is truly your beloved then in ten short months he has become so much more then himself"

"Time moves differently here! You know that! Stop trying to mess with my head" Ikkaku clasped his hands to his head as loud screaming began. It was echoing and merciless, the sounds of pain that wouldn't diminish. Falling to his knees the third seat growled and punched the ground at the intruding noise.

"Dinner do you hear those sounds? This torture you hear is the song of Three. If you were to walk into his work room this is what you would hear" It sounded as if she was whispering into his ear. Ikkaku clenched his eyes shut, the sounds were unbearable.

"Stop!" he yelled out. "I said stop! I am your master and I'm telling you stop it!" Immediately the gruesome sounds ceased and he slowly opened his eyes to see Koi's gray feet before him.

"Master? Strong words…" she purred and ran her fingers against the invisible barrier. "If you cannot bare the sounds of Three how do you suppose you can bare his presence? He is Three of course-"

"Don't make him sound like that!" Ikkaku yelled and his eyes searched for the projected image of Three.

"_Long ago Three was just a man…but now…"One paused. "Now he is not" _

"I said stop. I need to talk to him! I don't care what he's done!"

"What he's done you say?" The demon wondered. "You're right, what a taboo subject. Let's focus more on what you've done"

"_Ikkaku" Yumichika sighed. The third seat blinked open his sleepy eyes and looked over at him. _

"_Yeah" _

"_You're staying in tonight, right?" _

"Yeah alright I get it. I was cheating, he knew. I don't know why he did it! Yumichika's a strong person that's not- I'm not the reason" Ikkaku argued but didn't actually believe his own self.

"Then what was? Why would such a beautiful person turn to such an unbeautiful way out"

_As if on que Ikkaku's soul phone buzzed on the bedside table. _

"It wasn't me" he said with regret and sat back on his heels.

"_Why don't you leave him?" _

Ikkaku squinted his eyes. He knew that voice.

"_I can't" Yumichika whispered back. _

"That never happened" he said and looked up at the demon. Koi shrugged and looked away.

"I never said it was your movie"

"_Yumichika" Ichigo said forcefully and looked around the bar once more. Yumichika wondered why the orange head was so secretive when they talked about Ikkaku. "You really want to sit around and watch him leave every night for the rest of your life?" _

"Traitor" Ikkaku scoffed and crossed his arms as he watched the memory.

"_I love him yanno…and he loves me. What else would I do?" _

"_Love isn't going out every night and fucking whoever comes along" Ichigo said and let his head fall back against the wall. "Love isn't telling you he loves you when you ask him where he's been either" _

_Yumichika sighed. "Well, Ichi, I guess I've never been too clear on what love is anyway" _

"So what did Ichigo do when he watched _your _'loved one' die? Was it in his arms? Did he kiss him like you should have when he went cold?" Koi laughed and Ikkaku grew angry. Yumichika wasn't cheating on him. It was just another lie so why was he listening?

_Yumichika looked up at his vanity as the wooden floors dug into his palms and knees. He let out a rough breath as the orange headed teen thrust forward once more, his hair falling down onto his back. _

"Yumichika never- he wouldn't do that with Ichigo. We loved each other he wouldn't sleep with my enemy"

_Yumichika tipped his head back and swallowed the rest of his drink. "I want you" the substitute shinigami whispered. It sent a rush down his spine and he moved his head over as a soft kiss was placed on his neck._

"_I want you too"_

"Just like you wouldn't sleep with his friend?"

"_Ah, Ikkaku" Renji moaned as his head fell back onto the mat below them. _

"It's- fuck! Don't do that! Stop this! He didn't do that"

"Why not?" Koi smiled and lifted a finger to tap onto her chin.

"Because he loved me!"

"Just like you loved him?" Ikkaku froze, he really was a bastard. Of all the times he felt bad for the things he had done it had never hit him. Yumichika and Ichigo now that was a lie, but he was jealous. This is how Yumichika had felt every time he came home. Did those conversations really happen? What happened when…he wasn't there when Yumichika died. Had Ichigo really done those things? "Do you really want to know or is it rhetorical?"

"Shut up, and stay the fuck out of my head" Ikkaku huffed and crossed his arms. "I don't care what happened in the past. I want Number Three here right now!"

"Hm" Koi murmured to herself and looked up at the nonexistent ceiling in the darkness. "No"

"And why is that?"

"Because you have no substance, Dinner. You're here to speak with a ghost and there are no true intentions. Do you really wish to cause more pain? Have you not done enough?" Koi yelled out and her eyes glow red as she looked down on him. Her black hair pooled around her face and from his point of view she looked absolutely…well demonic. Ikkaku squinted his eyes and his head fell back as something clicked into place.

"Oh I get it" he said. "You're his friend, is that what this is about? All this bringing up the past so what? I'll feel guilty about the shit I did well okay you got me. I feel fucking guilty! So what now? Your gonna show me these things and make me feel worse well I'll tell you what you cant! I know everything I did was..was it was fucked up! I know that! I need to talk to him because I am sorry. If I wasn't I wouldn't be here on my fucking knees begging to speak to him! There is nothing in the void of my life now that could ever make me feel worse about leaving him with those thoughts. I can't sleep because all I see is his face! I need him! What the hell do I have to say!"

"Nothing, there isn't anything to say, Dinner. As for me and the number no we have no ties. Scratch my back, I scratch his. All he is is a meal that hasn't been eaten-"

"You're lying. If he was just a meal you wouldn't be bringing all this stuff up. You wouldn't know his memories!-"

"Once again on the contrary my dear Dinner. I- great Koi of the hell dimension- can read his mind too. Just a perk of being my kind" Koi smirked and walked away. "I cannot help you find the Number Three because he does not want to be found. Not until you realize what your asking"

"What! What the hell do I have to do! ? Tell me! What greater fucking realization do I need more then I've already had here! Look I get it, Yumichika's not the same person! I did that to him, I fucked him up. I'm the one who made him kill himself and I'm the reason he's Number Three"

"Did Ichigo tell you his last words?" Ikkaku put his hands to his head and groaned as the memory consumed him.

_Yumichika closed his eyes slowly as the demon fell at his feet. _

"_You killed it" Ichigo said in amazement as the thing they had been chasing for months disappeared into millions of little particles into the air. _

_Yumichika sniffled and looked down at Rui'iro Kujaku's vines that were just swaying in the wind. _

"_Fuji Kujaku, return" he whispered and watched as his blade took on it's metal guise. Yumichika spun around a few times before letting go of his blade which went spiraling sideways into the woods that surrounded them. _

"_What are you doing?" Ichigo asked and attempted to walk closer to Yumichika, who held his hand up to stop him. _

"_You remember that talk we had about love Ichigo?" Yumichika asked sadly and watched as Fuji Kujaku boomeranged around the trees. _

"_Sure"_

"_Well I figured it out Ichi..I know what love is" Ichigo looked down at the purple headed man in confusion. _

"_What?" _

"_Pain" Yumichika whispered and blinked slowly as tears dropped out of his eyes. "Tell Ikkaku for me…that all his love is pain" _

_Yumichika watched with wide eyes and relaxed himself as Fuji Kujaku came spiraling toward him. "Yumichika!" was the last thing he heard before the four cycled blade pierced his torso. His throat, his heart, his stomach, and pelvis were punctured as his blade went right through him. _

"_-aku" he choked out the blood and fell back onto the ground. With the last ounce of his strength he clenched his fist. As his blades closed and ripped through him Yumichika watched the sky light up red._

"Stop!" Ikkaku screamed and hid his face in his hands as the tears poured out. "Don't show me- fuck!" he yelled and punched the ground. "I need Yumichika! I am your master and you get him here! I demand that he's here! NOW!"

Koi looked down at the shinigami and their eyes connected. Ikkaku watched as her eyes grew black once again and the light around her dimmed as she faded away.

"Ikkaku" Ikkaku turned and choked at what he saw.

"Yumi" he whispered and let the tears fall freely. Before him was Yumichika Ayasegawa, dressed in a simple white kimono sat the man he had loved since the beginning of time. "Yumichika" he repeated with disbelief.

"Turn to page thirty nine" Ikkaku clenched his teeth and did as he was told. "Repeat me…Dim lumina. Koi accipe in hoc demon circuli. Accipe Trinitas. Spiraculum in mea pulmone. Servus tuus sum"

"Dim lumina. Koi accipe in hoc demon circuli. Accipe Trinitas. Spiraculum in mea pulmone. Servus tuus sum" As Ikkaku finished he looked back up into Yumichika's purple eyes and froze. Yumichika crawled into the circle and Ikkaku closed his eyes as the other man's soft touch grazed his cheeks. He reached out and rose to his knees as he pulled Yumichika as close to him as he could.

"Oh, god Yumi" he whispered out in a raspy voice as he held Yumichika to him. Ikkaku's hand came up to run his fingers through Yumichika's hair and he pulled his former lover into a kiss. "I never thought I'd see you again"

"Don't cry, please" Yumichika croaked out and looked into Ikkaku's eyes.

"I love you, I love you so much Yumichika. Please don't leave me again please. I can't take it, I can't- I can't live Yumi. I just cant without you" Ikkaku begged and held Yumichika's forehead to his own. "Please don't leave me again"

"Ikkaku, don't do this to me" Yumichika sniffled and tears fell to his cheeks. "You don't want me anymore"

"It doesn't matter, none of that matters to me. It never did, I just need you" Ikkaku said and he meant it. Since Yumichika's death he's been a wreck. It took Yumichika's death to realize he took him for granted and he needed to do something about it. He felt so alone and he just couldn't do that anymore. "I just need you"

"Ikkaku, I love you but- I'm different now"

"Your not. Don't tell me that, don't look in my eyes and lie. Your you, it's what you've always been" Ikkaku clutched Yumichika tighter to his chest as he flinched away from him. No matter what he's done it still doesn't matter.

"Fifty years is a long time" Ikkaku looked at Yumichika with confusion. He had been waiting fifty years for him. The third seat felt his heart beat hard in his chest, this is what true heartbreak must feel like.

"But you can come back now. You don't have to be Three, Yumi. Come back home with me" Yumichika smiled and pecked him on the lips.

"It's strange to feel déjà vu after so long" Ikkaku hugged Yumichika to his chest and dug his head into his neck. He took in a deep breath of the man and was relieved at the beautiful sensation of Yumichika's smell, something he hadn't had in so long.

"It wont be the same. I wont be the same, Yumichika I'm not lying to you. I'll be different I can't do this without you" Ikkaku said and pulled back to look into Yumichika's eyes. "Please come with me"

"What future do we have Ikkaku?" Yumichika asked and tilted his head to the side. "Can you honestly tell me we wont be the same knowing you've said the same thing so many times before"

"You died Yumichika" he whispered and grasped both sides of Yumichika's head in his hands. "I can't be the same. What you did to yourself was because of me, I don't ever want to be the cause of that pain again. Give me a chance, please"

"I love you Ikkaku, more then you'll ever know" Ikkaku closed his eyes as Yumichika kissed him passionately. He didn't want this moment to end.

Ikkaku stare blankly with an open mouth as Yumichika pulled away from him slowly and left the circle. The third seat watched as Yumichika stood and turned away from him.

"Yumichika" he breathed out and felt fresh tears fall as Yumichika walked away from him.

Ikkaku gasped as a spotlight came on Yumichika and his purple hair grew long and black. As Yumichika turned to look at him, his eyes spiraled into blackness and his skin spread vines before glowing gray. Ikkaku's heart beat loudly in his ears as Koi looked down at him, emerald necklace back in place.

"Maybe in another life" Yumichika's voice whispered from Koi's mouth before disappearing completely.

The candles blew out.

(**)

Ikkaku stood and wiped off his face. He sighed and walked over to slide open the door. Bright light shined down into the once black room.

The third seat placed a hand over his brow to block out the sun. Ikkaku wondered to himself if he was ever going to stop.

(**)

THE END!

I hope you enjoyed. This ficlet is based off the movie Lo.

Translation from Latin: Dim the lights. Accept the demon Koi into this circle. Accept the Number Three. Breath into my lungs. I am your servant.

Please Review!

-cole-


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